Life, 1883-02-08 · page 5 of 16
Life — February 8, 1883 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation of This Life Magazine Page **The Cartoon "A Local Application":** This satirical sketch depicts two men in conversation. The dialogue references Syracuse and a person named Dromio, with one character claiming to have "a cousin in Syracuse." The humor appears to be a literary reference—likely to Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors," which features characters named Dromio in Syracuse. The joke seems to mock how people invoke obscure family connections or make literary allusions inappropriately in casual conversation. **The "Justice to Keeley" Article:** This lengthy editorial defends the Keeley Motor against critics' claims that it's impractical. The text discusses how the motor might theoretically work and debates whether it could safely power vehicles or require safety precautions. It references General Washington and Alexander Hamilton regarding representative government. The page combines humor with technical/political debate typical of Life's satirical approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A LOCAL APPLICATION. Angelica Bellewue : |AND DO YOU LOOK SO MUCH LIKE YOUR BROTHER? Augustus Bellettre : DRoMIO OF EPHESUS LOOKED NOT MORE LIKE DRoMIO OF SYRACUSE. Angelica Bellevue: HAVE A COUSIN IN SYRACUSE, I BEG YOUR PARDON, WHAT IS THE NAME OF YOUR FRIEND IN SyRACUSE? I JUSTICE TO KEELEY. ig is claimed by the critics of the Keeley Motor that it will not mote. This opinion, however just as regards the present price of its shares, is unfair toward the possible future of this be- wildering application of an unknown chemico-dynamic force. Scoffers predicted that Fulton would never get farther than the 42d Street Ferry with the ‘ Clermont.” So great an authority as Chaucer said of Edward III.’s cannon, “Tt is all very well as a laboratory experiment, but in practice the safest place is in front of this machine, as it is bound to give way between the trunnions and the cascabel, and to knock the excelsior out of the gunners.” Look also at the obstacles met by Archimides in the introduc- tion of his wheel. Ptolemy said caustically that a great deal more water was likely to get into the stock of the company than the wheel could ever pump out. Conon sarcastically said that he would like to see the books before he believed in an honest dividend. General Washington openly stated his belief that Congress could not be run by gas alone. Alexander Hamilton based his whole theory of a representative government on a legislature which represented the people. Popular belief, even when fortified by the opinions of eminent men, is no criterion of truth. Had the Dutch who originally colonized Manhattan Island been told that within less than three centuries the verdant land- scape about them would be undermined by a gigantic, restless, hidden force, capable of hurling men, vehicles, Belgian pave- ment and creosoted lamp-black into the air, they would have smiled with contemptuous incredulity at the silly tale of the power of a steam-heating company anda gang of explosive im- ported aldermen. Let the consideration of these ideas teach us humility in our convictions, Bethaps the Keeley Motor may yet mote sweetly in our midst. As it seems to havea terrific explosive force pent up within it, we go so far as to suggest that it might be liberal to Keeley, and perhaps beneficial to ourselves, to give free use of our streets for experiments. If the Motor should explode upwards, the tele- graph wires would prevent the fall even of one sparrow—if the sparrows should keep above the electric labyrinth, and if the ex- plosion should be downward it might haply blow the steam-heat- Ing pipes to a non-hazardous remoteness. A lateral explosion might, however, create much damage unless a safety-jacket of live aldermen and politicians were placed about the generator. This generation might thus ‘‘ be greatly blessed and made cheer- ful” by a mere accident. Tawa Koto ABSORBING A STATE. MASSACHUSETTS takes away forty-five acres from Rhode Island by the adoption of the new boundary line.—Zx. comicbooks.com